Swapping online carries risk. He held his breath until he approached the Wrigley gates.

"Obviously, you buy stuff on Craigslist, you hear horror stories," he said. "They bleeped that ticket, and I was able to walk in."

Next up? A seat Saturday, where he said he scored tickets with the same posting, combining $300 and bluetooth speakers.

Not everyone was so successful — Don Jarecki said he was willing to trade four Bears tickets for a Cubs seat. No one bite.

"I couldn't give the Bears tickets away," he said.

Apple watch for Cubs tickets

Craigslist

Oak Forest's Larry Lang will trade a brand-new Apple watch for tickets to see the Cubs at Wrigley.

Oak Forest's Larry Lang will trade a brand-new Apple watch for tickets to see the Cubs at Wrigley.

(Craigslist)

Mike Schmidt tried to barter two tickets to a December "Hamilton" show. But he got only one bite that seemed like spam.

The Lakeview resident had extra seats, so he thought it was worth the trade. If the Cubs make the World Series, he may offer four tickets, plus cash.

Many in Chicago are similarly thinking outside the box.

The most unique was a request by Jack Nugent, a season ticket holder since last year.

His post offered two seats in a section behind the visitor's dugout.

"I'm looking to trade for a awesome pinball machine," he wrote. "Let me know what you have."

Escort Passport 9500ix radar detector

Craigslist

Lang is also willing to trade a brand-new Escort Passport 9500ix radar detector for tickets to a Cubs game.

Lang is also willing to trade a brand-new Escort Passport 9500ix radar detector for tickets to a Cubs game.

(Craigslist)

He has an arcade in his basement, he explained in an interview, and is always looking for interesting additions. "I figured maybe there was someone out there that had a pinball machine collecting dust."

Sure enough, someone wrote back, he said, offering a "Ripley's Believe It Or Not!" machine. The machine goes for more than $3,000 on eBay.

The two have a tentative agreement, should the Cubs play Saturday.

These trades are a win-win for both parties.

"If the Cubs clinch and go to the World Series, that's a memory they could have for a lifetime," Nugent said, "compared to something they have in their drawer or in their basement collecting dust."

He added, "Personally, I don't need to have that memory of the Cubs going to the World Series. I'd rather have something cool."

In June, Adam Novak spent hours to score three orchestra-level tickets to a "Hamilton" matinee.

Even after that, he was willing to give one up for a ticket for the Cubs postseason.

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